Training Update

Leave it to me and my awesome training partner to only let 6 days elapse before our longest run record is crushed. Seriously. We beat it by 2 miles today- 16 miles!

That's pretty much the same as running a 5K and then a 1/2 marathon right after.

Hey, I can't be that crazy...I've got someone out there doing the same thing with me!

Today we ran from Lago Patria (where it was freezing cold at 0800) all the way to where the sidewalk ended and then back another 5 miles. I'm still not 100% how many cities we ran through, but it was at least 3. If you want an idea of where we ran (and how our miles looked) click here. I recommend the satellite view- see if you can find the bufala that stopped eating and snorted the air when they sensed us coming. (Talk about a flash back to Kenya.)

That first portion of the path (around the lake) has been our route all month now. Each Saturday we meet up at a crazy hour and have to convince ourselves that we are ready and tell our legs that it's just one step in front of the other. Although the outbound 3 miles are often quiet with the biggest excitement is making sure we know where the pack of wild dogs are when we turn the corner (pinecones in hand) the return is much better.

Why?

Glad you asked! By our second hour out there most of the cyclist have also started their Saturday rides and as you've probably guessed, this is huge event for Italian men. From day one we've heard brava, bella, ciao, buongiorno  as packs of bikes passed. At first I joked that they were our cheer squads since they will also applaud us or flash a thumbs up but really, they are! It's amazing how a simple word or phrase in a language you don't fully understand can help you pick up your pace or carry you to the next round-about when all you wanted two seconds prior was to flop on the sidewalk.